Dial pattern mechanism for effecting reverse plating



1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1, 1931. R. LAWSON ET AL DIAL PATTERN MECHANISM FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING Filed March 21.

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Filed March 21, 1929 62 I AJ L R. H. LAWSON ET AL Filed March 21, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 6077/, U51 urN 0302123236- I nvenifoims RoberiELLaw Sept. 1, 1931.

DIAL PATTERN MECHANISM FOR EFFECTING REVERSE PLATING Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I ROBERT E. LAWSON, OF PAWT'UCKET, AN D ARTHUR H. CLOUTIEB, OF LONSDALE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOBS TO HEHPHILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND,

A CORPORATION OF IASSACHUSETTS DIAL PATTERN MECHANISM FOR EFFEOTING BEVm-SE PLATING Application fled larch 21, 1929. Serial No. 848,785.

This invention relates to pattern mechanism for efiecting reverse plating, and particularly to disk or dial pattern mechanism therefor.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readilv understood, there is disclosed a single em iment of means in the accompanyinpie drawings, whereby reverse plating may efiected in accordance with the invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a circular knitting machine having the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation upon an enlarged scale of a head of a knitting machine havlng the invention a plied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a rontelevation upon an enlarged scale of the knitting head having the invention associated therewith:

Fig. 4 is a plan view with parts in horizontal section buttaken below the latch ring;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 3 and showing the improved dlSk or dial drive: I

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper part of one of the disks;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section upon the line 77 of Fig. 6; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are details to Indicate the means for stopping in one direction of reciprocation the loose ring gear associated with each of the disks, but permittlng continued movement thereof in the other direction of reciprocation.

This invention is an improvementupon the construction shown in the patent to Robert H. Lawson, No. 1,605,896, dated November 2, 19:26, and also upon the construction shown in the Canadian Patent No. 275,904, dated Nov. 29, 1927. In the said patents there is disclosed means for efiecting reverse plating through the action of special instrumentalities associated with the web holders and with the needles, together with means for shifting or altering during the knitting operation the point or points at which reverse plating is effected. By such means various patterns can be produced, and among other patterns there may be produced inclined lines of reverse plating, the lines all extending in the same direction in parallelism or so arranged as to cross each other, thereby producing diamond or like effects. It is the purpose of the present invention to improve upon the mechanism disclosed in said patents, and particularly to provide improved means permitting the automatic putting of the said pattern mechanism out of action during the heel and toe work with outdisarrangementof the patterns, and to provide means permitting another stocking to be commenced at the proper point atthe top.

In this application, as in said patents, there is provided a series of special instrumentalities. one for each needle. and each such instrumentality is controlled, or subject to control, by pattern mechanism, so that according to the dictates of the pattern mechanism reverse plating may be efl'ected atany needle, and there may be a change by progression, recession or otherwise in the point or area where the reverse plating is efiected.

In the practice of this invention, a series of independent needles (preferably latch needles) is provided desirably in a circular knitting machine. A needle cylinder 1 of the Banner or Hemphill type is herein shown as provided with needles 2, preferably latch needles. In the web holder bed ring, generally indicated at- 3, there are provided the usual grooves in each'of which isinserted for in and out or radial movement a web holder desirably of usual type. Desirably at each such groove, a special instrumentality is provided which may be of the form'shown in the said Lawson patent. The said instrumental:

-ities being placed each side by side in the groove with its web holder, are capable of sliding lon itudinally with respect to the web holders. I aid instrumentalities do not function as web holders, but are provided with butts adapted to be controlled by circumferentially positioned cams radially outside of the cam in the sinker cam ring that controls the butts of the usual, web holders.

The needles herein employed being of the latch needle type, a latch r ng 3' is employed equipped with suitable binder and cutter mechanism controlled in desirably usual manner. The entire mechanism is-driven from the main drive shaft 4 having thereon usual pulleys and also suitable gearing including the pinion 5 for driving the large gear 6 (known in the art as the 104 ear mounted upon a shaft 7. From said main drive shaft 4 is driven in usual manner a quadrant 8 pivoted at 9, whereby the machine is reciprocated during the knitting of the heel and toe. The

mechanism is also provided with the usual narrowing pickers, indicated at 10 in Fig. B

4, and with the usual widening pickers 11,

indicated in the same figure. It will be understood that the web holders or sinkers and the special instrumentalities (desirably mounted respectively in the same radial groove) are wholly disconnected from each other and are capable of independent radial movement in said grooves, being reciprocated therein as in the said Lawson patent.

Pattern means of the general type shown in said Lawson patent and in said application are provided to move the said special instrumentalities or other desired parts, and, in the disclosed mechanism, push them radially inward so as to bring them within the control of the proper cam on the sinker cam ring, so that they'engage the proper yarn or yarns of the two yarns being fed in normalplating relation, thereby to reverse the plating. If said instrumentalities are not so moved radially inward, normal plating continues or is effected at the needles pertaining thereto.

Preferably the pattern means is of such plating effected thereon. Desirably there is employed a part or parts rotating w 1th the rotating parts of the knitting organization. If, as is here the case, the needle cylinderis the rotating element, the rotated part of the pattern means may mesh with the needle cylinder, as disclosed in said patent, but to which means for rotation, the present inventlon is obviously not limited.

' VVe have, in Fig. 2, represented a gear 12 upon the sinker cam ring as extending entirely about the same. Meshing therewith there are desirably provided two gears 13, 14 respectively fast upon spindles 15, 16 received in bearings 17, 18, formed with or carried upon brackets 19, 20, mounted upon the bed plate of the machine. The number of teeth inthe gear 12 for best results is equal to that of the needles of the machine but might be of some number bearing some other fixed ratio to the number of needles, as, for exam le, one third or one half.

pon the spindles 15, 16 which are desirably provided with collars, as in said patent and application, are fast two pattern disks 21, 22, one of which is shown in section in Fig. 5, and each constitutes a jack carrier ring'grooved in its upper face, preferably as fully disclosed in said Canadian patent, to

the disk 24 has connected thereto a series of.

plate-like springs '27, the ends of which overlie the ring 25 and hold the same in position. yremoving one each of the screws 28, the said springs may be swung as upon a pivot, so as to clear the ring 25 and permit the ready removal thereof.

Fast upon the spindles 15 and 16 respectively are the gears 13, 14, already referred to, and they are suitably spaced and positioned beneath and with respect to the respective jack carrier ring or pattern disk 21, 22 by the ears 29 and adjusting screw 30. Any other suitable means for maintaining in proper relation each jack carrier ring and its gear may be provided, and obviously the construction of the jack carrier rings or pattern disks may be widelyvaried within the scope of the invention.

In the Lawson Patent No. 1,605,896, the

gears 33 which mesh with the driving teeth or gear 31 upon the sinker cam ring are of greater height'than the said gear 31 so as to permit, for narrowing and widening, the lifting of the pattern disk without disconnection of the said gears 33 and the teeth or gear 31. In said Canadian patent, means are provided for imparting a step-by-step lifting movement to the pattern disks, and similar means is preferably provided in this application, but as herein shown involving the greater number of steps for a purpose hereinafter stated. As represented in Fig. 2, I provide upon each of the spindles 15, 16

respectively the collars 34, 35 having four steps or levels indicated at 36, 37, 38, 39 for the leg, foot, heel and toe respectively, and with the said steps or levels engage the projections 40, 41 upon the collars 42, 43 adapted to be turned automatically through links 44, 45 by means enerally similar to those shown in the said anadian patent and which need not be more fully described and controlled by cams suitably supported on the main drum.

It is important that the pattern disks or jack carrier rings be kept in precise relation with the sinkers respectively controlled thereby, because, if that relation be disturbed to any extent whatsoever, the pattern bemachine head to indicate the proper alignment of each pattern disk with respect to the knitting head, so that the alignment may be restored manually at the commencement of a new stocking or if another pattern disk is to be substitu In the present application, we have disclosed means whereby each pattern disk is maintained at all times in proper register or relation with the respective sinkers of the knitting head, so that the proper registry or relation is automatically preserved or established at the completion of the toe of each stocking, for the commencement of the next stocking. These results we preferably accomplish by the following arrangement to which our invention is, however, not limited. Each of the two gears 13, 14 has secured to the under face thereof by screws 46, 'a ring 47, which supports a thin gear ring 48 which is so constructed and positioned that its teeth 49 are in vertical alignment with the teeth 50 of the corresponding gear 13 or 14. 'hen therefore the step-by-step movement already described with respect to Fig. 2 is imparted thereto for toe work, the said gear rings 49 are brought alone into mesh with the teeth or gear ring 12 upon the sinker cam ring. The upper face of each of the gear rings 48 is provided with tooth-like or ridge-like formations 51 desirably arranged along radial lines and adapted to receive the lower pointed end 52 of a plunger 53 seated in a cap or housing 54 and normally pressed downward by coil spring 55. The construction is such as to permit over movement of the said gear rings 48 with respect to the gears 13, 14. That is to say, and referring to the specific application of the invention to reciprocating work in knitting the toe, each stroke of reciprocation in knitting the toe extends through a greater are than one half the needle circle,

as is well known in knitting practice, beinginfact about a complete rotation. We have provided means whereby during the reciprocating work of knitting the toe the meshing relation of the teeth or gear ring 12 upon the sinker cam ring is maintained with the two gear rings 48 whichit will be understood are supported loosely and concentrically with respect to the two gears 13, 14, whereby it is unnecessary for the said gears 13, 14 to continue their rotative movement to the extreme end of the strokes of reciprocation.

To accomplish this result the following means is provided. Upon the lower end of each spindle 15, 16, there isfast a collar 56 havin therein a vertical socket 5 receiving a vertically movable pin 58 upwardly pressed by a coil spring'59, the construction being such that the said pin 58 may yield axially when in one direction of rotation it engages, at practically the end of its throw, the beveled edge or face 60 upon a' piece 61 secured to a suitable part of the framing as indicated at 62. The opposite face of the piece 61 is square or non-beveled and is engaged at the other end of the throw by the pin 58. Thus in reciprocating knitting in the direction of rotation indicated in Fig.8, the pin 58 strikes against the non-bevelled face 63 and the rotation of the corresponding spindle 15, 16 is instantly stopped with the result that the corresponding gear 13, 14 is held stationary. Inasmuch, however, as the teeth 49 of the gear rings 48 only are in mesh with the driving teeth 12 of Figs. 1 and 2, the continued movement of the needle cylinder to the extreme of its stroke simply idly drives the gear ring 48, each plunger 53 yielding and riding along the tooth or corrugated formation 51 of Fig. 7. In the other direction of recipro cation, as indicated in Fi 9, the pin 58 comes in engagement with the eveled face 60, and therefore the pin 58 yields downwardly and the rotation of the spindle 15 or 16 is not stopped thereby, but may continue the slight further customary extent, which, however, is not enough to permit the pin 58 to snap up on-the non-beveled side of the piece 61.

\ It will be understood that at the end of the knitting of the toe, the two collars 42, 43 are automatically restored by the springs 64, 65 to aposition with the projections 40, 41 at the lowest steps 36, 36 of the stationary collars 34, 35, thus automatically resetting the disks 13, 14 for the commencement of a new stocking. The patterning is not resumed directly. upon the completion of the toe, because there are provided the usual number of circular courses of the so-called ring toe and'also the garter top of the next stocking. The patterning commences, however, customarily just below the garter top or equivalent part of the stocking, and the pattern will automatically commence at the proper point.

'hile we have described means for permitting certain movement of the gears 50 during the reciprocating work of knitting the toe, it is to be understood that the invention isnot necessarily limited to use for.

such purpose, but may be employed wherever the described movement is found desirable.

For the knitting of hosiery, the dials are so set that the pattern, such as diagonal or sloping lines, will be eqIual distances each side of the heel corners. n other words, the dials are so set that the sloping lines of the pattern, after interruption at the heel, are resumed each at the proper distance from the corner of the heel. For doing this, the collars 56 are at the beginning of the knitting operation so set on the shafts 15, 16 that the pins 58 in said collars are against the straight sides 63 of the respective pieces 61. Referring, for example, tovthe commercial form of the invention. there are 120 teeth in the cylinder gear 12, and 119 and 121 teeth respectively upon the dial disks. As set forth in the Lawson Patent No. 1,605,896, there .will therefore Ian and means whereby said be a' loss and a gain in the movement of the dials. During the completion of the foot the two pins 58 (namely, the pins pertaining to the respective dials) have lost and gained from their original position. When going into reciprocating knitting, the shafts 15, 16 will turn in their proper directions, the plate gears 48 being in mesh with the cylinder gear 12. As the shafts 15, 16 carrying the dials have lost or gained only part of a revolution at the time of going into reciprocating knitting, the pins 58 strike against the straight sides 63. To complete the revolution of each plate gear 48 in mesh with the cylinder gear 12, the plunger 52 will slide over the projection 51, leaving the dial 24 in the same position as when starting the pattern. As the dials do not make a complete revolution, each pin 58 comes under the bevel 60 of the bracket 61, said pins 58 cooperating in insuring the recommencement of each sloping line of the pattern at the proper distance from the nearest heel corner, measuring transversely of the hosiery.

Referring to the purpose of the steps 36, 37, 38, 39, when going into the heel, the projection 40 is raised to the level of step 38, the leg having been knit with the projection 40 on the slope 36. The gears 13, 14 are still in mesh with the cylinder gear 12, but the jacks miss all the sr'nkers. The projection 40 then drops to the cam or step 37 the heel jacks missing the short butt. sinkers which knit the foot. The projection 40 is raised to the cam or step 39, at the commencement of heel knitting, so that the gears 13, 14 are out of mesh with the cylinder gear 12, and the plate gear 48 is in mesh with the cylinder gear 12.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. In selective mechanism for effecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear having a fixed relation with respect to said disk and driven by the knitting head, gear may be removed from gearing relation with the knitting head while maintaining the proper geared relation of the disk with respect to the knitting head.

2. In selective mechanism for effecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of-t-he knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear having a fixedrelation with respect to said disk and driven by the knitting head, and means having relative movement with respect to said gear and With which the knitting head is brought into geared relation by removal of the gear from gearing relation with the knitting head.

3. In selective mechanism for effecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear having a fixed relation with respect to said disk and adapted to be driven from the knitting head during the knitting of the leg, heel-and foot, and means to remove said gear from gearing relation with the knitting head for and during the knitting of the toe.

4. In selective mechanism for effecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear having a fixed relation with respect to said disk and adapted to be driven from the knitting head during the knitting of the leg, heel and foot, and means to remove said gear from gearing relation with the knitting head for and during the knitting of the toe, and a toothed member having a turning movement relative to said gear and adapted to be turned from the knitting head during the knitting of the toe.

5. In selective mechanism for effecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers'of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear having a fixed relation with the disk and adapted to be driven from the knitting head during the knitting of the leg, heel and foot, and a supplemental gear concentrically positioned with respect to the first mentioned gear and having capacity for loose movement with respect thereto and engaged by the knitting head during the knitting of the toe.

6. In selective mechanism for effecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear havinga fixed relation with said disk and adapted to be driven by the knitting head, a gear ring loosely supported concen-' trically with respect to said gear and in proximity thereto, and means for elevating said disk and gears whereby the gear may be removed from gearing relation with respect to the knitting head, and be brought into driving knitting head.

the gear ring may relation with said 7. In selective mechanism for efiecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to 'act thereon in efiectiug changes in plating,

a gear having a fixed relation with respect to said disk and adapted to drlve the same, means for elevating said d1sk and gear stepb v-step for heel. foot and toe knitting respectively, and means automatically to restore said disk to proper angular position for the commencement of reverse plating work upon each successive stocking.

8. In selective mechanism for efi'ecting re-' verse plating in circular hosiery knitting machinesa supporting d1sk adapted to receive members respectively lndividual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to respect to said disk and adapted to be engaged and driven by teeth upon the knitting head, means to elevate said disk and gear step by step, and a supplemental gear having a loose relation with respect to the first mentioned gear and adapted to be brought into driving relation with said teeth upon the knitting head during the knitting of the toe,

and means for limiting the strokes of reciprocation of the first mentioned gear during the knitting of the toe.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. ARTHUR N. CLOUTIER.

act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a

gear concentric with and having a fixed relation with respect to said disk and adapted to be driven by teeth upon the knitting head, i

and a gear ring supported concentrically but loosely with respect to said gear and adapted tobe brought into engagementwith the teeth upon the knitting head during reciprocating work.

9. In selective mechanism for efl'ecting reverse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines. a supporting disk adapted to receive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in effecting changes in plating, a gear concentric with and having a fixed relation with respect to said disk and adapted to be driven by teeth upon the knitting head,

and a gear ring supported concentrically but loosely with respect to said gear and adapted to be brought into engagement with the teeth head, means to elevate said disk and gear step by step, and a supplemental gear havmg a loose relation with respect to the first mentioned gear and adapted to be brought into driving relation with said teeth upon the knitting head during the knitting of the toe.

11. In selective mechanism for efiectingre- I verse plating in circular hosiery knitting machines, a supporting disk adapted to re ceive members respectively individual to the sinkers of the knitting head and adapted to act thereon in-efiec-ting changes in plating,

a gear in concentric and fixed relation with Q 

